Typhoon Podul has crossed southeastern Taiwan, where schools and government offices were closed to wait out the storm.

Typhoon Podul weakened to a severe tropical storm when it roared ashore in southeastern China early Thursday, state media said, after carving a path across Taiwan, shutting down businesses, grounding

Typhoon Podul pounded Taiwan on Wednesday, shutting down businesses in the south, grounding flights and knocking out power for thousands of households, while parts of China made preparations for the storm to make landfall.